Flash-light.



MORDUCH L. KAPLAN,

- STATES PATENT om-non. Q

F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSTGNOR TO BEACON MINIATURE ELEGTRICCQ, ING., OFNEW YORK, N. .Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FLASH-LIGHT.

To all whom-it may concern:

' Be it known that I, MORDUCH L. KAPLAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the' county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain period, and the object of the invention is to provide a novel and efficient construction of lamp of the class referred to by which certain advantages are attained, one advantage being the avoidance of locating the movable circuit. closer switch on the outside of the 20.

tubular casing.

It is customary in the class of flash lights to which my invention pertains to provide a box-like escutcheon on the exterior of the tubular shell Or casing and to mount on this escutcheon a slide having inwardly projecting fingers engaging a movable circuit closer located within the box-like portion of the escutcheon, and by means of my invention the box-like portion of the escutcheon is dispensed with and in lieu thereof I am enabled to use simply a flat plate escutcheon to receive the slide by which the circuit closer is operated.

. My invention comprises, in a lamp of the class referred to, a main shell or casing having within its wall a through opening of sufficient width and length to receive and permit the operation of a circuit closing switch, a fiat escutcheon plate closing the outer side of said opening, and a slide mounted on said plate and connected with the circuit closer switch in said opening.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented reference being had to the accomdrawings, in which:

electric light embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section, on a larger scale, of the same, on the dotted line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the casing of the flash light and the circuit closer mechanism taken on the dotted line-33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detached inner face View of-the escutcheon plate' carry- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 24, 1914. Serial N o.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916. 873,696.

ing the circuit closer switch, and "Fig. 5 is a detached outer face view of the escutcheon plate, the circuit closer features being omitted.

In the drawings designates the exterior casing or shell, 11 the battery therein, 12 the customary metal cap closing the lower end of said casing or shell, 13 the lens, 14 the reflector, 15 the usual cap or ring applied to the forward end of the casing or shell and holding the lens and reflector in position, and 16 the lamp bulb having a socket 17 screwed into a neck 18 of said reflector, one terminal of the lamp being in engagement at 19 with the forward end of the bat tery and the rear or lower end-of the battery being in engagement with the conductmg spring 20 which is in electrical connection with the cap 12. The cap 12 is screwed upon a metal band 21, and this band'is in electrical connection with a conducting strip 22 extending along the inner wall of the casing or shell 10. The cap or ring15 is screwed upon a metal band 23 which is in electrical connection with the reflector 14 and also with a conducting strip 24 which extends along the inner wall of the casing or shell 10. All of the features which have been enumerated by reference numerals are known features in flash lights and hence require no specific description. v a

The shell or casing 10'is of non-conductcanized fiber, and this casing or shell '10 is, in accordance with my invention, formed with an opening or hole 25 which is permanently open at itsinner side and closed at its outer side by the application to the, shell or casing 10 of a flat escutcheon plate 26, this plate being of'metal and preferably of ornamental outline and being secured to the casing or shell 10 .byme'ans of eyelets 27, 28, the eyelet 27 serving to secure the forward end of the conductor 22 with the metal plate 26 and place'said conductor and plate in electrical connection with .each other.'

The forwardend of the escutcheon plate 26 extends over and conceals an eyelet 29 by which the lower or rear end of the conducting strip 24 is secured to the wall of ing and at its lower or Mr end termi- 26 and are bent over laterally toward each other upon the circuit closer switch, 33,

which is a metal plate applied against the inner face of the escutcheon plate 26 and is recessed at its opposite edges to receive the fingers 31. The fingers 31 cooperating with the recesses in the edges of the circuit closer plate 33 serve to firmly connect said plate with the thumb-piece or slide 30 and to bind the plate 33 with 'suflicient firmness against the inner face of the plate 26. The fingers 31 cooperating with the slots 32 in the plate 26 serve to guide the thumb-piece 30. and plate 33 in their sliding movements.

The'plate 33 in its rear portion has a plain mg of msulatmg material, a battery therem,

an electric lamp hating one terminal in en-' surface adapted to the inner face of the escutcheon plate 26, and forwardly'f; the

fingers 31 the plate 33 is bent inwardly and then deflected forwardly, as at 34, the forwardly deflected portion of the plate 33 being slightly inclined laterally so that its forward extremity, when the plate 33 is pushed forwardly, may pass into electrical engagement with the inner or,'rear end of .the conducting strip 24, thereby td complete the circuit through the lamp and battery.

I It will-be seen that the casing or shell 10 is of adequate thickness-to provide an openin or hole .25 within which the circuit closer switch 33 may be conveniently housed,

and one of the purposes of my invention is to house the circuit closer switch within an opening 25 in .the side of the casing '10 in ,lieu of having said switch housed in a boxformation mounted upon the exterior of the casing 10 or located within the chamber formed by the inner 'wall of the shell or casing-10. The opening '25 is of suflicient inner end of the conducting strip. 24l. A.

movement the circuit will be broken.

.length to permit the thumb-piece 30 and .circuit closer switch 33 to beqmoved from the inoperative position, of said switch plate, shown in Fig. 2, forwardly to the operative position of said plate 33, such movement carrying the deflected end portion 34; of the plate 33 into electrical engagement with the reverse movementof the thumb-piece30 will carry the plate 33-'out of-engagement with the conducting strip 24, and hence on 'spplh e flat ,escutcheon plate 26 will lie close to-the I 1 exterior surface of the shell or casing 10 and receive the thumb-piece 30, the latter being projected outwardly only farenough to enable its convenient operation by means of -the thumb. I In many known constructions anescutcheon plate is made use of having a projecting box-like portion whichmounted on its exterior the thumb-piece or slide, all this making a construction which projects unduly from the side of the flash light and not only mars the appearance of the flash light but is liable to be knocked and disfigured or broken during the handling of the flash light or when Silflklkgllt may, for instance, be carried in a box of tools by a mechanic. In accordance with my invention the circuit closer switch is ronflned within the opening 25 and the .escutcheon\splate'26 is simply a flat plate gagement with one end of-said battery, normally separated conductors extending along said casing from the other terminal of the lamp and the other end of said battery re spectively, and circuit closer means for electrically connecting adjacent portions of said conductors and completing the lighting circuit, said casing having in its side wall adj acent to the inner ends of said conductors a hole forming a chamber in said wall, and said circuit closer means comprising a slidable switch located within said chamber and electrically connected with one of said conductors and havingafree end to-be engaged I with .the other of said conductors, an escutcheon .plate secured on said casing closing'the outer endof said chamber and a slide mounted on said plate and having a member extended through an elongated slot therein and rigidly engaged with said switch, whereby the switch may he .slid into engagement with'said other conductor to .complete the circuit, said slide being elongated to conceal the slotin said plate and said slot and said member cooperating to guide said slide in its movements.

2 A. portable flash light comprising a ,cas

1. 5; of insulating material, a battery I there1n', an electric-lamp having one terminal in: engagement with one end of said battery, 'normally separated-conductors extend-- ing along said casing from theoth'er termi-:

nal of the lamp and the other end of said battery respectively, and circuit closer means for electrically connecting adjacent portions of said conductors and completing the lighting 7 circuit, said casing having in its side wall adjacent to the inner. ends of said conductors a hole forming a chamber-in said wall, and said circuit closer means c0mpris-' ing. a slida-ble switch locatedwi-thin said. ei geeives the. circuit closer switch and has chamber and electrically connectedwith one 713 of said conductors and having an inwardly "bent free end to be engaged with the other of said conductors at the edge of said chamher, an escutcheon plate secured onsaidcasing closing the outer end of said chamber and a slide mounted on said plate and having a member extended through anelongated slot therein and rigidly engaged with said switch, whereby the switch may be slid into engagement with said other conductor to complete the circuit, said switch being in permanent electrical connection with said plate and said plate being in permanent elec-' trical connection with one of said conductors and these being the means for electrically connecting said switch with said conductor,

and said slide being elongated to conceal the slot in said plate and said slot and said member cooperating to guide said slide in its movements.

3. A portable flash light comprising a casing of insulating material, a battery therein,

an electric lamp having one terminal in engagement with one end of said battery, normally separated conductors extending along said casing from the other terminal of the lamp and the other end of said battery respectively, and circuit closer means for electrically connecting adjacent portions of said conductors and completing the lighting circuit, said casing having in its .side wall adjacent tothe inner ends of said conductors a hole, and said circuit closer means comprising a switch located Within said holeand surface of said plate, whereby the switch may by pressure on the slide be moved into engagement with said other conductor to complete the circuit, said plate serving as the means for permanently electrically connecting the switch with the first conductor.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 23rd day of November, A. D. 1914.

MORDUCH L. KAPLAN. Witnesses:

ARTHUR MARION, CHAS. C. GILL. 

